Finally, she has arrived. Last Saturday, Khwantippa safely arrived in Belgium. Having been apart for months, we’ve spent the weekend doing literally nothing, which was absolute bliss. Like we’ve never been apart, we have fallen into couples routine, starting with food. Breakfast might have the strangest spread for outsiders.

Today is my last day of instant noodles, working in my jammies till noon and going to the gym at night to see 3-dimensional people. It is the last day I live by myself and I’m excited! Tomorrow my lovely wife Khwantippa will finally join me, and not just for a few months. A new phase for the both of us. We’ll take you along on a colorful adventure, on the cusp of two cultures.

Conscious or not, prolonged exposure to anything will influence a person. Whether dramatic (like radiation) or just slightly worrying (like Ed Sheeran), the impact cannot be denied. Over the past years I have been significantly exposed to Thai culture. Cooking up dinner, I just realized how profound this impact has become. But you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Is it just my perception or is the fake news phenomenon not slowing down at all? When Facebook announced that it would weed out false reporting I was hopeful it would come to an end. Instead, the frequency of misleading sponsored posts on my timeline has increased and the phenomenon is getting deeper ingrained into our journalistic and even scientific culture. Let me tell you how.

‘Three servings of Somtam with fermented crab, extra spicy’. When I heard the couple next to me order spicy papaya salad with their ice coffees, I knew I had to stick around. ‘Maybe you could try one portion first?’. The friendly waiter really wanted to ease them into Isan cuisine, but there was no stopping these weekend warriors out for an authentic adventure. Last Saturday, I paid a visit to Siam Senses in Antwerp.

Beneath Thai Buddhist society, a strong undercurrent of superstition and black magic exists. Mysterious and taboo, these influences require research to be fully understood. Case in point is the phenomenon of Luk Thep. At face-value it comes across as adults infatuated with dolls, but deeper down it traces back to the dark history of child ghosts and occult ceremonies. Let’s dig into these subjects, shall we? Along the way we’ll discover the reason for the popularity of red Fanta in the vicinity of shrines.

As Internet access only reached the Thai masses after the introduction of the smartphone, Siam has a very different online landscape compared to the West. Online sales caught on relatively recently, but in a very remarkable way. Massive volume isn’t generated in online stores, but on Facebook. Why is that and what dangers does it imply?

With my lovely wife moving to Belgium next month, some budgetary optimization will be needed temporarily if we want to keep up our slightly glamorous lifestyle. Plenty of inspiration for future posts there. With that in mind, I was pushed over the edge and into a C&A store. Result: an affordable fix for a long-term craving and a fashionable story that leads all the way to John F. Kennedy. Just do continue reading.

Got another call from our friends over at the fake Microsoft office. Once again, my intention was to drag them along as I can, get them irritated and make them hang up themselves. I was a bit scattered and caught by surprise, but the result is still a good laugh. Always fun to hear the sincere contempt in their voice when they realize they’ve been had. Sadly, I did not get to speak to my mate Frankie from my most successful attempt yet. Next time, I will try a new approach.

Walking past the window, I caught a glimpse of this dramatic colorful sky and had to rush to capture it before it was gone. The sky was pink and purple with a splash of blue. The tiny hint of yellow light in the window really sets the scene off, in my eye at least. Larger version available if you continue reading.